Study Guide for Exam 2 (SYG1000)General Information: Exam 3 will take place on 12/13/12 (Thursday) at 3:00-5:00 pm in our regular classroom (Room 23 Bel). Please bring a number 2 pencil to the exam. Scantrons will be provided.Topic: Politics and the Economy • Be able to define politics o Politics- the arena in which societies make collective decisions about priorities and policies• Be able to define governmento Government- the organization that exercises authority and steers decision making in a specific community. • Know the three types of government discussed in this chapter (monarchy, authoritarian, and democracy) o Monarchy- a system of government headed by a single person, the monarch, who typically inherits the position as a member of a ruling familyo Authoritarian government- a government that typically features self-appointed leaders who exert great control over the lives of citizens, which includes severely limiting their civil liberties o Democracy- a political system in which the right to vote is widespread and government leaders are selected through multiparty elections. • Know the difference between plurality voting and proportional representationo Plurality voting- a “winner-take-all” electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins the office being contested This has contributed to a two-party system that helps marginalize minor parties. o Proportional representation- an electoral system in which parties are awarded seats in government based on the percentage of votes they receive in an election • Know what the spiral of silence refers to o The spiral of silence is a theory that explains how people keep quiet about controversial issues when they think their opinions are not widely shared, in order to avoid social isolation. The spiral of silence narrows public discussion by squeezing out minority views and overstating the degree of political consensus. • Know that members of the working class and the underclass are less likely to vote than those of the middle and upper classes o This can be attributed to: Political parties not representing working class interests Education Income • Be able to define economyo Economy- a social institution that includes society’s production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. • Be able to define capitalism and socialism. Also know the distinctive features, advantages, and disadvantages of capitalism and socialism. o Capitalism- an economic system that emphasizes private ownership of the means of production, which are operated for profit. An ideal capitalist economy has three distinctive features: • Private ownership of property • Pursuit of personal profit • Competition and consumer choice Upside of capitalism:• A competitive marketplace can promote innovation, productivity, and efficiency. Downside of capitalism: • Without government intervention and regulation, power and wealth can be placed in the hands of a small elite (increasing inequality and eliminating competition). o Socialism- an economic system that emphasizes public ownership of the major means of production, which are operated to meet human needs and promote social justice. An ideal socialist economy has three distinctive features:• Collective ownership of property • Pursuit of collective goals • Government control of the economy Upside of socialism: • Prioritizing social needs over personal profit can reduce inequality and even eliminate social problems (such as homelessness, expensive higher education, and lack of healthcare). Downside of socialism: • Socialist countries administered by an authoritarian government (such as the former Soviet Union) often lead to a lower standard of living. Topic: Family and Religion • Be able to define family o Family- two or more people, related either by birth or through social commitment, who share resources, care for dependents and often maintain close emotional relationships • Know the functions of familieso The structural functionalists approach highlights the functions of families which include: contributing to social stability facilitating the pooling of resources serving as the primary agent for inheritance of property and other wealth providing care and socialization of dependents regulating sexual activity providing emotional comfort • Know the ways families can perpetuate inequalityo Conflict and feminist theories focus on how families perpetuate social inequality. Families concentrate wealth and reproduce class structure in each new generation. Gender inequality is present within families. Endogamous marriage supports racial and ethnic inequality. • Be able to define endogamy and exogamy o Endogamy – the restriction of marriage either by law or custom to people within the same social categoryo Exogamy – the marriage between people from different social categories• Know that people in the US are less likely to marry today than at any other time in the nation’s history • Know that nearly 50% of all first marriages eventually end in divorce• Know that college-educated couples are less likely to get divorced than other couples • Know that the proportion of children born to unmarried parents has increases since 1950.• Be able to distinguish between sacred and profane o Sacred- something extraordinary, to be treated with reverence and awe. o Profane- occurring as an ordinary part of everyday life • Know the functions of religion o Religion promotes social solidarity.o Religion operates as a form of social control. o Religion can provide believers with deep social psychological benefits. o Religion can motivate social action. • Know Marx’s analysis of religiono Marx referred to religion as “the opium of the people”. o Marx focused on two dimensions of religion, claiming: It offers false comfort to believers. People in power manipulate religion. • Know the three largest religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduismo About two-thirds of the world’s population adheres to one of the world’s three largest religious traditions: Christianity (33%), Islam (21%), or Hinduism (13.2%). • Be able to define secularization o Secularization- the decline in the social significance of religious beliefs, practices, and institutions. Topic: Education and Work • Be able to define education o Education- the
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